26 Moments
by Dark Magician Girl Forever
Summary: This is a rewrite of my other story "26 Letters" since when I was uploading it it was three 'clock in the morning and I was tired. Anyway this is a series of alphabetic one shots pertaining to L and my OC Ninniku, Light's cousin. Rated for some of the chapters. I DO NOT OWN DEATH NOTE!
1. Chapter 1 Anger

Me: This is my first Deathnote fic and since I know almost nothing about the show or manga some things are going to be wrong until I can watch the whole series so please bear with me and fill me in on what I've got wrong in a review. I own only my OC, Ninniku Isley. She has bright orange hair and big brown eyes with alabaster skin. I own only her and nothing else! Enjoy! This is nothing but a series of alphabetic one one shots about L and my Oc.

ANGER

L could rarely get angry at Ninniku, even if she was being as annoying as she could possibly be, even if she was running on nothing but Mountain Dew and Pixie Sticks, and even if she had just spent the past 15 minutes dancing around the kitchen with Last Friday Night by Katy Perry blaring so loud the bass made the water in his bottle shake.

As patient as L was with Ninniku, he had his limits. When she cut her hand and screamed like she had cut her finger off, causing L to nearly panic and to examine her hand completely. The cause of Ninniku's blood curling screech had been a small cut about the length of half of her pinkie finger and so shallow it barely bled.

"Damnit Ninniku! I thought you'd cut your finger off the way you screamed!" L snapped.

"But it hurt!" Ninniku whimpered as she wrapped it in gauze and picked the knife off the floor.

"You always have to be so childish about everything. Its irritating."

Ninniku froze and felt her fists clench involuntarily into fists by her sides. L had called her many things. Immature, a klutz, a sore loser, childish, but never irritating. Why had he chosen to add that to the list?

"I'm irritating? Fine. Then I'll go be irritating somewhere else." She hissed through clenched teeth, tossing the knife violently into the sink and pushing past L.

After a fit of trying to untie her apron and tossing it behind her, Ninniku fell down face first on on her side of the bed and turned to face the wall, curling into a ball so small she hoped L wouldn't be able to find her.

She was wrong. Not ten minutes had passed before L found her.

"Ninniku I know you're there." He said.

For once his voice held no comfort for Ninniku. She always got emotional when he got mad at her. She knew playing the upset girlfriend almost always guaranteed a quick apology from L but she also knew that it was just a way of getting him to play on her terms.

"Ninniku I'm sorry. Now come out." L said. Judging by his voice he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

Ninniku bit her lip. "No L-kun. I'm sorry."

For once in her life, to Ninniku at least, L actually sounded shocked. "Sorry for what?"

Ninniku turned to look at him, still curled in her little ball. "Every time you get angry at me I end up crying and you end up apologizing. Regular couples don't fight like that. Normally arguments can last hours, not seconds like ours."

Ninniku heard L give a small laugh that sounded more like a cough and carefully pulled his lover's head up to gaze into her brown eyes after removing her black wire framed glasses.

"There's only one thing wrong with your theory Ninniku." He said with an almost unnoticeable smile.

Ninniku smiled and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "And that would be?"

L leaned in and took her chin in his hand, an unusually kind gesture for him, even if they were alone together. "We're not a normal couple, now are we?"

And with that, L leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his lover's soft Pina Coloda flavored lips. Ninniku responded eagerly, threading her fingers into his hair and pulling him closer before they broke apart.

"You're right. We're not."

END


	2. Chapter 2 Bruise

Me: Again I do not own Deathnote!

BRUISE

It was easy to tell when something was wrong with Ninniku. If L had done something she would run to bed and hide under the covers until he came to apologize, which was normally three minutes later. If something had happened at work then she would come home ranting and raving about it and asking L to buy her a chocolate bar to make her feel better.

Today was one of the few days a week that Ninniku had class at the local college. From what she had told L, Ninniku was often picked on for her small size and high I.Q. and most of the girls loved to threaten her with awful things if she didn't make them number one in the class again, so naturally, Ninniku was under a lot of pressure so those threats wouldn't come true.

Today was the day after exams and, without even bothering to give L a hello hug she rushed past him and dove into the bedroom with what sounded like a hurried excuse of "I had a long day. I need to sleep it off."

"Ok something's up." L thought. Ninniku never missed an opportunity for a hug. She had rushed in with her hands over her eyes so she was hiding something. She had never been afraid to cry in front of L so why would she start now? Looking down at the floor, L noticed small crimson droplets, Blood. Ninniku was bleeding but why and from where was the question that upset him the most.

"Ninniku what's going on?" L asked as he stood in the doorway of the bedroom.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" Ninniku hurriedly replied after yanking the sheets over her head.

"Well you're hiding under a blanket for one and you're bleeding for another."

"What makes you think I'm bleeding?"

"The blood droplets on the floor."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"Too late. Now come on out. I have a surprise for you."

"What kind of surprise?"

"You have to come out first."

The white comforter slipped down her head a bit to reveal the top of her orange hair line.

"A bit more." L said.

The sheet slipped a little more to reveal her eyebrows. Something dark caught L's eye.

"I wanna see your eyes." L said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Ninniku lowered the sheet a bit more to reveal how her left eye was turning purple and was badly swollen.

"What in the world?" L wondered, gently touching around the edges of the growing bruise.

Ninniku hissed and the sheet fell away to reveal a bloody nose and a split lip.

"Ninniku who did this to you?" L asked after he had gotten an ice pack from the fridge and placed it over Ninniku's eye and had stopped the bleeding in her nose.

"The girls at school. I barely passed the exams L-kun." Ninniku said, tears in her good eye.

"How? You were studying like crazy when I went to work yesterday and you were asleep at your desk when I got home last night. How could you have barely passed?"

"I was so scarred the girls would hurt me if I made our class come in last and I choked. I couldn't remember any of the answers. Even the breathing exercises didn't work. And after the results came in at the end of the day, they cornered me at the bike rack and well…you can take it from there."

"College kids acting like kindergartners. Will wonders never cease? Anyway you don't need to worry about what those girls say. You have the ability to pass if you say you do."

Ninniku smiled as best she could while holding an ice pack to her eye. "You're right Ryuuzaki. As always."

L smiled lightly and kissed Ninniku chastely on the lips. "Now you hold that on and I'll go get dinner and your bike."

"The chain has a combination lock on it."

"What's the combination?"

"5-21-6."

"Why?"

"The time and date of the first time you said you loved me."

"Five AM June 21."

"That's right."

"Alright." L kissed Ninniku one more time. "I'm off. If Yagami calls?"

"We were in the middle of something."

"That's my girl."

END

Me: I apologize for the OOCness of L! I haven't watched the show enough to know what he's really like! Please don't hurt me!

L: No guarantees.

Me: Stop sneaking up on me!

L: I brought cake.

Me: ….I'd rather have you instead! (glomps)


	3. Chapter 3 Christmas

Me: Again I own only my OC!

CHRISTMAS

The first thing to make a noise in the small apartment that L inhabited with his girlfriend of three years, was Ninniku's sharp cry of "L-KUN! GET UP! QUICK!"

At her shriek, L came running into the living room to find his girlfriend smiling broadly holding a present in her hands while wearing the red lingerie he had gotten her only yesterday.

"You have got to stop that. See these dark circles? They are your fault." L said as he sat down beside her on the loveseat.

"I think the raccoon eyes make you look cute. Anyway open your present!" Ninniku squealed excitedly.

L sighed and took the present from her hands and, after nearly an hour of unwrapping because of all the tape, the paper was gone to reveal a small box.

"Go on. Open it." Ninniku urged.

L sighed and opened the box. Nestled neatly inside was a few pieces of paper and a set of keys. "What the hell?"

"Surprise! I bought you a car!" Ninniku said, smiling widely.

"You did what?"

"I bought you a dark blue 2003 Chrysler Sebring. It's used but it was the best I could do. I wanted to give you something you would use every day."

L stared in shock at the small set of keys in his hand then at the papers. "Registration and proof of insurance?"

"Yep!"

"Ok then I guess it's time for your present."

"What? L-kun you didn't have to get me anything. You're the only thing I need for Christmas."

"I know but I decided I'd get you something special. Just wait here. I'll be right back."

Ninniku nodded and released L's hand and watched him walk down the hall to the coat closet. L looked through his coat and pulled out the small box, about the size that a ring normally comes in. Today was the day he would finally get up the nerve to ask her. After a few deep breaths, L made his way back to the living room and sat beside her again.

"This is for you." He said, handing her the box.

Ninniku took it gently and opened the small velvet box, revealing a locket about the size of her palm on a thick silver rope. It was a silver locket with jade vines and diamond flowers climbing all over the surface and, right in the center of the locket, in her birthstone of yellow topaz, was a capital H.

"L-kun….it's beautiful." Ninniku whispered as her fingertips lightly brushed the surface.

"Open it. There's something else on the inside."

Ninniku looked at him curiously, but she opened it anyway and gasped at what the interior held. On the left side was a saying and on the right side was a picture of her and L on their first anniversary.

_You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be._

But something was obscuring the view of the picture. Because, right on the picture, was a diamond ring. On a silver band was a princess cut white diamond. On the left side of the diamond was a small yellow topaz and on the other was an opal. On the inside of the ban was neatly scrawled, "_For My Little Piece of Heaven."_

L took Ninniku's hands in his own and was surprised at how cold her hands were, due to her poor circulation. "Ninniku Isley, will you marry me?" he asked.

Ninniku sat open mouthed at her boyfriend as tears began to course down her cheeks.

"L-kun….this is the most beautiful and the loveliest thing anyone has ever done for me…..thank you….." she said, her voice cracking lightly as she hugged him tightly.

L hugged back, praying that the word yes would pass from her lips. "You're welcome." He said.

"Yes. Yes I'll marry you."

L let out a sigh of relief as he slipped the ring onto Ninniku's finger and kissed her forehead.

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" L asked.

Ninniku nodded. "You tell me twice a day during the week and four times a day on the weekends."

END

Me: Once again I apologize for the OOCness!


	4. Chapter 4 Dog

Me: Once again I only own my OC!

DOG

"Please L-kun?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with sugar and a chocolate strawberry on top?"

"No."

"I'll wear the nurse outfit tonight."

"I'm working late."

"Damnit. Pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty please with extra sugar and five chocolate strawberries and whipped cream?"

"Let me think…..no."

"But why?"

"Because I don't think we're ready yet!"

"But-"

"No buts. We're not ready."

"L-kun we can't just toss him outside in the cold! He'll die!"

L sighed and looked from his lover to the small puppy in her arms. She had rescued the small pup from a back alley where the other members of his litter, and his mother, had already expired. Ninniku had brought him home, dried him off, wrapped him in a warm blanket, and fed him warm milk and some of the steak trimmings she had set aside of beef stew. L had come home to find her humming softly to it and had immediately told her no.

Now that a poor animal's life was on the line, Ninniku looked close to tears at the thought of turning him back onto the street where he would die in a matter of minutes.

"Ninniku don't give me that look. We can't keep him." L said.

"L-kun he'll die! I won't be able to live with that on my conscience!"

"Ninniku I already told you-"

"L so help me kami you are going to listen to me! We are keeping this dog whether you want us to or not!"

L knew she meant what she was saying when she brought his real name without the ending into an argument. Ninniku turned and sat back down, signaling the end of the conversation, and continued to coo to the young pup.

After almost an hour of agonizing silence, L snapped.

"Fine. You can keep him."

Ninniku almost broke her leg jumping to hug him. "Thank you L-kun!"

"On one condition, he has to have a bath first."

"I can do that." She said, trotting into the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later Ninniku emerged, soaking wet but smiling with a small white puppy in her arms that smelled suspiciously like Ninniku's Irish Spring body wash.

"He's a white lab!" she cheered after she had changed clothes and gotten the pup settled in a small bed by the heater before sitting on L's lap and cuddling into his chest.

"I love you." She whispered.

"Only when you get what you want." L said.

"You don't have to be so grumpy about it. I'll let you name him."

"He's your dog. You name him."

"You name him."

"Fine. His name is Art."

"Art? As in the class?"

"Yes."

"You know people think you're gay."

"They're wrong. I'm bi."

"Ok…..wait what?"

END


	5. Chapter 5 Evil

Me: Look at chapter 1-4 for the disclaimer.

EVIL

"You don't have the guts Ninniku." Light hissed at Ninniku as she stood at perfect stance with the gun raised.

Ninniku felt her hands begin to shake. She didn't want to die here, not in front of L. "Try me Kira." She hissed.

Light smirked and stepped forward, grabbing the barrel of the gun and putting it to his chest. "Go ahead. Shoot me."

Ninniku felt tears in her eyes as she shook. She couldn't shoot her cousin, her only family. But L was right behind her. He knew that if she lost her nerve, both of them were going to die.

"Be the woman you really are. Use all your years of training in California. Go ahead." Light hissed.

Ninniku took a step back, using her body to shield L. "If you want to kill L you have to go through me."

"No problem."

Light pushed her but she held her ground. It wasn't just her life she was fighting for, but her fiancé's life and the lives of others as well. She had to remind herself that this wasn't her cousin anymore. This was a coldblooded killer. "I'm not afraid of you Kira!" she snapped.

Light grabbed her wrists and the gun clattered to the floor. "I can fix that." He hissed.

Ninniku looked over her shoulder at L, who for the first time since she had met him, looked absolutely terrified. She prayed he saw her message in her eyes. _Forgive me L-kun. Desperate times call for desperate measures._ With that, Ninniku leaned up and kissed Light full on the mouth. The worst part was he kissed her back! Ninniku wanted to scream and to push him away but her mind told her to stick to the plan. Her fingers, quick and nimble from years of piano and harp lessons, secured on the Deathnote and worked the pen out of her pocket and quickly wrote _Light Yagami 5:15 AM Internal Bleeding _and with that she tossed the book and pen behind her to L and bit Light's tongue as hard as she could. Light pulled away immediately and Ninniku spat onto the concrete.

She kept her protective stance in front of L as she watched Light begin to drown in his own blood. Only when his body had stopped twitching and his chest rose with his last attempt to suck in air, did she take a step forward and check his pulse.

"He's dead." She whispered, picking up the gun again and flipping the safety on before slipping it back into its holster on her thigh.

She turned to face L, who stared in shock from the book, to her, to Light's body on the ground, then back to the book.

"Ninniku…..how…." L wondered.

"I worked for the American BAU in the FBI for three years before came to Japan L-kun. After you've been on the force three years you learn how to take down your opponents by turning what they want against them. Light, or should I say Kira, wanted you out of the way so he could have me. Sick bastard. And I was his cousin too. Ick." She spat again, trying to remove the taste from her mouth.

"And you-?"

"Relax. The kiss was simply to distract him while I got my hands on his weapon."

"But still….you kissed him."

"L-kun…look at me." Ninniku took L's face in her hands. "Listen very closely to what I say L. Yes I kissed him but in the process I got the book, saved your life, saved my life, and saved the lives of many others. You are the only only one I have any interest in and you will always be the only one. Do you see this ring on my left hand? This is my engagement ring is my promise to marry you. I would never, in a million years, break that promise to you. So stop getting jealous about the dead. I love you."

With that, Ninniku leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her fiancé's lips, and the two walked home together hand in hand.

END


	6. Chapter 6 Fever

Me: disclaimer in chapters 1-4.

FEVER

"Ninniku?" L asked, knocking on the white bedroom door.

"Come in." Ninniku replied.

L opened the door and sighed. Ninniku was sitting up in bed, something she hadn't done in a few days since she came down with the flu. Her orange hair was messier than normal, her brown eyes were as red as the tip of her nose, her face was deathly pale, and she had dark circles under her tired looking eyes.

L smiled as best he could at his newly appointed girlfriend. The two of them had gotten together a few weeks ago when Ninniku had screamed at L, accusing him of not caring about her and hating her, L had yelled right back at her, saying that if she would open her eyes and take a good look at the world around her she might learn something. Ninniku had stopped mid snappy comeback and run off into a thunderstorm. L had chased after her.

_"Ninniku!" L snapped, grabbing the redhead's wrist in the middle of the cross walk._

_ Ninniku whirled around to glare tearfully at her crush. "What do you want?" she said._

_ "I want to apologize. I shouldn't have said what I said back there. I didn't mean it." _

_ "Yes you did. You mean everything you say."_

_ "But I didn't mean that. Ninniku, I would never try to hurt you."_

_ "Why?"_

_ "Because of this."_

_ L pressed his lips to Ninniku's and Ninniku, after the initial shock of it all wore off, kissed back with as much love as she could put into it and they stood there, kissing, getting soaked from the rain, in the middle of a crosswalk on an abandoned street._

"How are you feeling?" L asked, brushing a lock of Ninniku's sweat drenched hair from her clammy forehead.

"Awful." Ninniku moaned, leaning into L's touch.

"I told you when we got home to change clothes and get a hot shower."

"I know."

"And now your regretting it."

"Regretting what, you chasing after me in the rain and kissing me? There's no way I'm ever going to regret that."

L smiled. "Alright then. Maybe next time you'll listen to me. I have your medicine."

Ninniku pulled the covers over her head the minute L pulled the green plastic bottle from his pocket. L sighed.

"Ninniku stop acting like a baby. Come on."

"No!"

"Ninniku this stuff will make you better."

"That stuff tastes like plant food!"

"I know. I know. But it's good for your blood and it'll help fight off this flu. It'll make your hair shiny too, and it'll make you stronger too."

"I'm not taking it."

"Ninniku so help me Kami you will take this medicine if I have to shove it down your throat."

"You wouldn't dare."

L yanked the covers off and easily pinned Ninniku to the mattress with one hand. "You were saying?"

"No fair! Taking advantage of the sickly!"

"Take the medicine and I won't have to."

"No!"

"I'll give you cake."

"How stupid do you think I am?"

"Fine. What's it gonna take to get you to swallow this?"

"Hm…..you make me deep fried butter pecan ice cream."

"Fine. Now open your mouth."

Reluctantly, Ninniku opened her mouth and let L tip two spoon fulls of the slimy green liquid down her sore throat.

"There. That wasn't so bad was it?" L asked.

"No. Now go make me my ice cream!"

"Excuse me?"

"Please my darling little panda detective?"

"I hate when you call me that. Fine. I'm gonna run to the store and get the ice cream and pound cake. You need anything while I'm gone?"

"Yeah. We need more tissues and vapor rub."

"And that's why I sleep down the hall when you're sick."

"I hate you."

"I love you too."

END


	7. Chapter 7 Guns

Me: look at chapter 1 for the disclaimer.

GUNS

L wasn't afraid to say his girlfriend was a klutz. And his fear of her accidently hurting herself grew more the day she brought home the gun. It wasn't much really, just a standard police handgun that Light had given her for her birthday once she turned 18. She hung it by the closet door in its holster every day after work and put it back on her thigh before she left for work. It was a usual routine that L should have gotten used to by now, but the thought of Ninniku accidently shooting herself while cleaning it sent an uncharacteristic chill down his spine.

Weeks passed and L's growing fear for Ninniku's safety grew and finally snapped when she had called in sick for him and taken his place at the task force. L had been relaxing in a hot shower when Light called; talking so fast he couldn't understand him.

"''mfreakingoutandthere'!" Light's hurried voice screamed.

"Slow down Yagami. What happened to Ninniku?" L asked as he began drying off. If Light was speaking so fast it was illegible, then something was definitely wrong.

"She got shot! She was at the café with us when some guy burst in with a guy and told us all to get down, she tried to take him on and he shot her! There's blood everywhere and the ambulance just got here! You gotta get down here quick!"

"Alright calm down I'm on my way. Where did he shoot her?"

"He shot her three times. Once in the arm, once in the leg, and once in the side. The ambulance is pulling out now."

"And I'm walking out the door now. Call me when they put her in a room at the hospital."

"You got it."

It took L all of twelve minutes to get to the hospital. He had made sure to get an new apartment within walking distance of a hospital incase Ninniku hurt herself…which she had done on numerous occasions. Before leaving, L was grateful he had remembered his insurance card and Ninniku's extra one in case she had forgotten it…again.

One he got to the hospital, he asked the nurse where she was.

"And you are sir?" she asked.

"My name is Ryuuzaki. I'm her coworker and her fiancé."

"She's still in surgery sir. I'm afraid she won't be out for another few hours."

"How many hours?"

"Six to eight at the least. One of the bullets went right through her appendix and the other two went clean through her but she's very lucky. Nothing major was even clipped. You certainly have a lucky lady on your hands Mr. Ryuuzaki."

L thanked her and sat beside Light, putting his head in his hands. Light put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry Ryuuzaki-san. She'll be alright."

"I'm only 50% sure of that at the moment."

After L had been pacing for almost three hours, chewing his thumb the whole time, Light sighed and grabbed him. "Ryuuzaki you need to calm down. You worrying isn't going to get her out of surgery any sooner. Go out for a bit, take a walk, get some coffee, buy her some flowers and a couple balloons. Try to keep a level head and I'll call you when she gets out of surgery and they move her. Don't worry. Now go."

Light had to practically shove L out the door before L got the message and walked down the the coffee shop and ordered an extra-large hot chocolate with extra whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and two pumps of caramel. The woman at the counter had looked at him like he was crazy but had given him his order nonetheless. After another half hour of sipping his hot chocolate, L bough Ninniku some balloons, a stuffed rabbit to replace the one he had ruined three months ago when it's paw got caught in the garbage disposal, and a bouquet of daffodils, her favorite.

He had been sitting in the park biting his thumb when his phone rang. It was Light. Ninniku had been out of recovery for almost thirty minutes now and she was awake and asking for him. L had practically rushed to the hospital and the nurse had directed him to her room before he could ask.

Ninniku was sitting up in bed, awake, and clicking through TV channels with a displeased face.

"Boring. Boring. Boring. Watched it. Seen it. Did it. Done it. Own it. Not worth my time. Ooh! Real housewives!" Ninniku said, grimacing lightly as she moved to get comfortable.

L knocked on the door and Ninniku turned to look, smiling lightly. "I was wondering where you were." She said as L set down all the things he bought her by the door and pulled a chair up beside her.

"Light made sure I went out and got some air before I drove him crazy with my pacing. How are you feeling?" L asked, holding her good hand tightly.

"Well I just got shot, I can hardly move, and I was awake for thirty minutes without my fiancé here to hold my hand. Aside from that I'm just peachy."

L smiled and kissed her lightly. "Sorry I kept you waiting princess."

"Apology accepted my darling little panda detective."

"What do you want?"

"I want you to pass me that box of chocolates over there and to come sit up here so we can watch Titanic."

"As the princess commands."

With that, L climbed into the small hospital bed with her and, with his arms securely around her and the box of chocolates on her lap, the two watched the American movie together, laughing, crying, and feeding each other the sweet candies.

END


	8. Chapter 8 Help

L: I'm filling in for my princess because she's half a sleep so she told me to just follow the script so as it clearly says "I'm saying this one more time! The disclaimers are on chapters 1-4!"

HELP

L had known something was wrong with Ninniku the second she traded in her favorite violet colored leather jacket and faded jeans for an old sweatshirt and a pair of black yoga pants. She worked side by side with him in the computer room so no one said anything about her appearance because they rarely saw her.

But L noticed. He noticed how dark circles that rivaled his own grew around her emotionless brown eyes. He noticed how her hair went from hanging down to the backs of her knees to always being up in a single messy bun. And he noticed how she seemed to get thinner and what few words she said became fewer.

She meant the world to him, even if she didn't know it yet. So as they sat side by side and Ninniku stared lifelessly at her computer, L saw the one thing that proved that something was wrong with Ninniku. She reached up to brush a lock of hair from her face and L grabbed her arm.

"L-san what the-?"

"Something's wrong with you. Look at yourself. You've lost at least five pounds in the past week, you sleep less than I do, and you're not talking anymore." L said.

Ninniku's eyes stared blankly at him and he pulled her chair closer so that their faces were barely and inch apart. He let go of her arm

"Don't give me that fucking blank stare you understand me perfectly well." He hissed, anger quickly bubbling in his veins.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about." Ninniku stammered.

_ Bingo_. L thought. He had cracked her.

"Ninniku," L whispered gently as she ducked her head and she shoulders began to shake. "Ninniku, I know that something's wrong. I know that you're hurting and you want help but you don't know how to ask for it."

Ninniku had begun to sob quietly now, her hands pressed tightly to her mouth.

"Ninniku, please, let me help you." L whispered into her ear.

Ninniku removed her hands from her mouth and looked up at him. "I need the help. I just….I'm afraid of what they'll do to me."

"Who's going to do something to you?"

Ninniku rolled up her sleeves and L had to try his hardest to keep from screaming. All over her arm were little puncture wounds that told him everything he needed to know.

"I've been trying to quit. Honest I have." Ninniku said as she rolled her sleeves back down.

"I believe you."

"Are you going to take me to rehab?"

"No. I'm taking you to live with me. I've dealt with this before but I had to do it all on my own. See?" L rolled up his sleeves to show fading puncture scars. "No one should have to go through it alone. I'm going to help you. But it's not going to be easy."

Ninniku looked up, strength in her eyes. "I don't need easy. I need possible."

"Alright then. Don't worry I'll let you pack your things then I'll take you back to my apartment and we'll get you cleaned up."

Ninniku nodded, eager to put this part of her life behind her.

And so it went. L kept Ninniku in his apartment and made sure that if she went out he was with her. He hid his prescription pills, the cleaners, anything that could have been used as a drug. It wasn't long before the effects began and Ninniku was thrashing in her sleep. All L could do was hope and pray that she hadn't been doing it very long.

Once she started getting sick, L knew she was halfway there.

"Hang in there Ninniku. You're almost there. It'll be over soon." L whispered.

Her skin was clammy and she was drenched in a cold sweat. She thrashed and puked and cried. She got thinner but that was mostly from not being able to keep anything down.

As almost a month went by, Ninniku began to thrash less and less, she slept through the night, she could keep things down. When a whole day went by and she didn't get sick once and she wasn't covered in sweat, L knew he had done it.

Just as he had broken his own addition three years earlier and had gone through the suffering alone, he had helped someone else out of the hole.

Even though it took three more months for L to trust her on the streets alone, he knew he had helped her.

"Now comes the next order of business, putting some meat back on your bones." L said with a small laugh.

"Said the walking skeleton." Ninniku retorted.

The two of them laughed again.

"L-kun….I can't thank you enough for helping me. I don't know what I would have done without y-mmf!"

L had cut her off by kissing her. Not on the cheek like she did to him but full on the lips. Ninniku wrapped her arms shakily around his neck and allowed him to pull her closer.

After the two of them parted, Ninniku smiled. "Looks like I've traded one addiction for another."

"What do you mean?" L asked, slightly worried.

"I've traded narcotics for you." She whispered before pulling him into another kiss.

And as they fell back on the bed, L was sure of one thing. This was one addiction he didn't mind.

END


	9. Chapter 9 Interesting

INTERESTING

Things at work could get interesting really quick between L and Ninniku. When the two had first gotten together they were akward around others and were even more isolated than normal, if that was possible, but within the third month of their relationship things had started heating up quickly.

The day had started out like any other, L had been at work all night and, therefore, was the first one there. Ninniku was the second, bringing hot chocolate and a box of doughnuts each.

"L-kun! I'm here!" Ninniku called as she pushed the door of the surveillance room open with her back and kicked it shut with her foot.

"I have hot chocolate and doughnuts!" She cheered as she took her place beside L, who stopped chewing on his thumb and looked up as she handed him his hot chocolate and pecked his cheek with a good morning kiss.

"You're in a good mood. Did you sleep well?" L asked, taking a sip of hot chocolate and getting whipped cream on his upper lip.

"Nope. I got about three hours of sleep."

"I'm surprised you're not dead on your feet."

"Coffee. I made friends with it the minute I started working here and the day after I started working with you. So any news on Kira?" she asked, spinning herself around in her chair and turning to face her computer.

"A new victim last night. A woman found guilty of six charges of pedophilic rape and third degree murder. She was found dead in her cell this morning."

"Heart attack?"

"Same as all the others."

"Kami…all of the people so far have been men…I never thought Kira would kill a woman."

"What are you worried about? You've never committed a crime in your life."

"I know that but….it's like Jack the Ripper suddenly deciding to kill men instead of women. It's shocking."

"You're right. But I know one good thing that came from all this."

"And what might that be?"

L smiled lightly and turned Ninniku's chair to face him and touched her arm lightly, enjoying the small shock he felt every time they touched. "I found you."

Ninniku smiled and grabbed the front of L's shirt, throwing him off balance and sending him right into her, which sent both of them to the ground in a clatter of plastic and a series of giggles.

Ninniku looked up into L's eyes and smiled lightly, her fingertips brushing his cool cheek. "You're absolutely right L-kun." She said.

L smiled. He had told her his real name almost a year ago when she had started working with him and she only called him that when they were alone.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are today?" L asked her, placing a cool hand on her cheek.

"Not yet."

"Helen of Troy's face may have launched a thousand ships, but your face could launch a million wars."

"L-kun you always know just what to say. I'm surprised you haven't said anything about the fact that I raided your closet this morning."

L looked at the hand resting on his cheek and sure enough, the same white long sleeved shirt he always wore, or at least one of eight he owned, was the same on him as it was on Ninniku. It was a little long for her, the sleeves covered most of her hand except for her fingertips painted with black nail polish, and the sides slipped off her shoulders. The shirt was thin so she wore a white tank top underneath, the white traps showing clearly that it was a halter top and that she had forgotten a bra this morning.

"I love you Ninniku-chan." L whispered, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips.

"I love you too L-kun. We should probably get back to work before Light catches us like this." Ninniku said with a bit of a disappointed face.

"There's always later."

"You're right. Now come on L-kun. Let me up."

"Maybe I want to keep you here for a bit."

L snuck his hand up her shirt to stroke the pale expanse of her stomach and toy with her navel piercing.

"Ah…L-kun…not here…" Ninniku moaned lightly as L nibbled gently on her earlobe and trailed his tongue over her neck, pausing just under her jaw and kissing lightly.

Ninniku moaned lightly, biting her bottom lip and threading her fingers in L's hair.

"L-kun…someone will see…"

"Relax Ninniku-chan. They know not to bother us unless it's an emergency. So just relax. I haven't touched you in forever."

L lightly pushed his hand up farther, to just below her right breast. He ran his fingers along the underside of the breast before his cool hands squeezed gently. Ninniku moaned lightly and gripped his hair tightly. After a few more squeezes, L lowered his hand and slowly slipped it under the waist band of her gray sweatpants and into her tight heat, slipping in three fingers quickly. Ninniku bit his shoulder hard, griped his shirt tightly, and gave a small cry of pain.

"Did I hurt you? We can stop." L said.

"No. Your fingernails are jagged. That's all. Don't stop. Keep going." Ninniku gasped.

L smiled and slowly pumped his fingers in and out of her, his thumb busy rubbing her clit, as his fingers searched for her G-spot. The half scream half gasp that Ninniku uttered mere minutes later suggested that he had found it.

"I love you L-kun." She whispered, her breath ragged and her voice low.

L smirked against her neck and kissed her full force as she fell over the edge, screaming into his mouth. When they parted again, L smiled, withdrew his fingers, and licked them clean.

"C'mon. we should get back to work before Light comes in with the bitch." L said as he pulled her back in for another kiss.

Ninniku smiled and pecked L's cheek. "You mean Misa?"

"That's what I said. The bitch."

"L-kun you're being mean."

"Okay. Okay. You win. I'll play nice."

"You'd better because if your good you'll get a treat."

"Chocolate cake with strawberries?"

Ninniku let her hand ghost over the bulge in L's jeans before planting herself in her chair. "Something better."

Light Yagami stared in shock at what he had just seen through a crack in the door. Talk about an office romance. But, figuring he didn't need to intrude yet, he grabbed the arm of the traumatized Misa at his side and dragged her away. He knew nothing today would be more interesting than what he had just witnessed.

"Wait a minute so Ryuuzaki-kun is _actually getting some_?" Misa asked

END


	10. Chapter 10 Jitters

JITTERS

"L-kun what are you doing?" Ninniku asked as she clicked on the light in the kitchen, revealing a startled L holding the bottle of strawberry jelly in one hand and a spoon in his mouth.

"Mofing." L said around the spoon.

Ninniku took the spoon out of his mouth and tossed it into the sink and took the jar from him as well, putting back on the top and placing it in the fridge.

"It's three o'clock in the morning L-kun. At least come to bed and _pretend_ to sleep for my sake." She said, her eyes widening into the classic doe eyes movement.

"Ninniku-chan you don't need me there to sleep. I'll just be down here if you need me."

"I know but-"

"But what?"

"I'm scared."

L gently lifted Ninniku onto the counter and pulled himself up beside her, an arm around her shoulder.

"Scared of what?" he asked.

"Light."

"Light's dead Ninniku-chan. You know that."

"I know but still….I can't help but shake the feeling that even when I'm alone in a room…I can still feel his eyes on me, like someone's watching me."

"There is no one here Ninniku-chan. You and I both know that."

"I know but I can't help it."

L smiled, took Ninniku's face in his hands, and kissed her passionately. Ninniku moaned lightly as his tongue mapped out her mouth and she wrapped her arms around his neck. The two split apart for air and smiled. L kissed her nose.

"Come on. I'll carry you to bed." L said, lifting her onto his back.

"Well I just came up with a plan…"

"And what might that be?"

They were halfway up the stairs by now.

"If there really is something in the house watching us…." Ninniku kissed his ear. "why don't we give them a show they'll never forget?"

L smiled as he set her down on the bed and kicked the door shut behind him before crawling over her. "Sounds good to me Ninniku-chan."

END


	11. Chapter 11 Kinky

KINKY

"For the last time L, no!"

"Oh come on Ninniku-chan! I never ask you for anything!"

"I'm not doing it!"

"Please?"

"No!"

"Please?"

"No!"

"Pretty please?"

"No!"

"Pretty please with sugar on top?"

"No!"

"I'd never ask you for anything again!"

"Bull!"

L fell strangely silent and Ninniku knew that she shouldn't turn around but she did, then automatically, she was hit with the doe eyes.

L rarely used her own trick against her but when he did, he thought of the saddest thing ever, pouted, and made his eyes get really big.

"Oh with the face and the eyes and the-ugh!" Ninniku hissed.

L made his eyes bigger and Ninniku groaned again.

"Fine! Fine! I'll do it!" she hissed after almost half an hour.

"Yay!" L cheered.

Reluctantly, Ninniku took the package from him and slipped into the bathroom.

"I don't mind you changing in front of me!" L called.

"Well I do! Get over it!" Ninniku called back.

About half an hour later, Ninniku emerged from the bathroom wearing a short white dress with a neck line that stopped only centimeters above her breasts, a pair of white pumps, and a small white nurses hat perched on top of her head.

L took one look at her and glomped her, sending both of them to the floor.

"I love it when you dress up for me." L whispered in her ear as he pulled down the zipper and slipped his hand into her bra.

"And I…ugh…hate it when you talk me into things like…ah!...this." Ninniku managed to get out between little moans and pants.

END


	12. Chapter 12 List

LIST

A lot of things came to mind when Ninniku thought of her boyfriend and, as she sat on the window seat across the room, unable to sleep, she smiled as she thought of all the things she loved about him. L was fast asleep now, spread eagle and taking up most of his side of the bed. She was still surprised that he hadn't figured out she had slipped out of bed yet and was sitting a good yard away from him by the window.

Picking up a pen from L's computer desk and her diary from the drawer of her nightstand Ninniku typed in the password on the keypad and it clicked open. After locating the small button on the side of the keypad, the book light popped up and lit up the home made stationary that L had bought her. He had made her the whole diary, or had paid to have it made. The same with the stationary. It was light gray with dark red lines. At the top of every page, right in the middle, in a dark red heart, was written 'L loves Ninniku' in light gray.

Ninniku went to write the title of her list and found that the pen wanted to be uncooperative. She sighed and dug around in the desk drawer for a lighter. She knew L had one in there somewhere. She knew he smoked occasionally when he was out with the task force and the smell of menthols on his shirt and jacket weren't just from sitting next to Light all evening.

Finally her fingers secured around something small, plastic, and somewhat metal. After examining it in the book light she smiled. Purplish red and bright yellow checker patters. Their birthstone colors. After flicking the lighter on and touching the flame to the pen tip for a few seconds, she clicked the lighter again and, after testing the pen on a note card, smiled and scribbled a quick note to L, placed it on his nightstand beside his morning can of soda before she returned to the window seat and began to write.

_WHAT I LOVE ABOUT L_

_He always knows just what to say to make me feel better._

_He thinks I can be anything I want to be if I put my mind to it._

_He calls me beautiful daily._

_He believes in me._

_He thinks I'm pretty without my makeup._

_He thinks I'm funny even when I get the joke wrong._

_He's never too busy to talk._

_He calls at least three times a day from work to see if I'm alright._

_He likes my yellow pair of running shoes and my holey pair of jeans._

_He thinks I look great no matter what I wear._

_He thinks I'm cute when I eat ice cream and I get it all over my face._

_No matter how late he works, he's never to bust to take me to a movie._

_If I can't find anything to wear he offers to buy me a new outfit._

_No matter how many times I tell him not to get me an expensive gift for my birthday he always goes against me and I love him for it._

_He's figured out how to use the Doe Eyes against me._

_He bought me a Saturn with a sunroof for my 21__st__ birthday and we took a 5 hour drive up to the mountains._

_The first thing he said when I called him at 3 Am was "What's wrong and do I need to come get you?" And I said "Yes."_

_He's my shoulder to cry on and my best friend._

_He doesn't laugh at me when I take an hour and a half bubble bath and go to bed with wet hair and wake up with hair like Medusa's_

_He knows the answer to every question is yes when it's my time of the month unless no is the answer I'm looking for._

_He says I'm the giver he wishes he could be._

_He doesn't mind that I steal the covers_

_He keeps my picture in his wallet._

_He calls me our unborn children's mother._

_He held my hand when I was in the hospital after I got shot and was with me 24/7 after that._

_He's the answer to my prayers._

_He doesn't mind that I sing when I clean and fail epically at it (not like he's any better though)_

_He's never said a bad thing about me, even when I made him mad._

_He always greets me with a hug and a kiss after he gets home from work._

_I see fireworks during sex._

_The way we got together was he chased after me in the rain after we had an argument and kissed me on a deserted crosswalk._

_I've never met a sweeter man in my life._

_He dreams of marrying me._

_He sleeps on the outside of the bed to make sure I can't roll out of bed._

_He reads to me when I'm sick._

_He tells me I'm like Marry Poppins, "practically perfect in every way."_

_He doesn't mind that I sleep with a nightlight._

Ninniku smiled as she finished the list and, after closing the diary and putting the pen back, she rubbed her eyes, suddenly tired, and climbed back into bed, cuddling into L's chest an sighing as he wrapped his arms around her.

Morning came and Ninniku had to slip out early to get to an early calls so she kissed L on the cheek, whispered "I love you." In his ear, and slipped out quietly. When L woke up to find the space beside him empty he sighed, remembering how Ninniku had an early class today. He looked over to the nightstand for his soda and found a small note card taped to it and his lighter beside it.

_I know your secret and I suggest you try to quit because I'm sick of you coming home smelling like menthols and cheap perfume. FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO HAVE YOUR MEETINGS!_

_I love you!_

_-Ninniku :3_

END


	13. Chapter 13 Memory

MEMORY

_"Swing me again, Light!" Ninniku asks excitedly._

_ Her cousin picks her up and whirls her through the air as Ninniku shrieks with joy._

_ "Again! Again!" she cries, but eventually the ride ends and her feet land back on the floor. "Is it cookie time yet?"_

_ "Not yet." Light says. "They need to cool down first."_

_ "Okay." Ninniku waits for a few second before speaking again. "Now?"_

_ Light laughs. Ninniku loves the sound of her boyfriend's laugh because it's a rare sound, like a song you have stuck in your head then you find it on the radio. She presses against Light's side, where it's warm and soft and smells like gingerbread._

_ There is a mound of presents under the tree, all for her and Light. It is the first Christmas she's had since her parents and her aunt died and her uncle had bought her and Light a small fortunes worth of toys. But they're not allowed to open them yet. Since Uncle Yagami is away it's just Light and Ninniku and they can do what they want. First they'll eat gingerbread men with gumdrop buttons _(A/N: Shrek!)_ and watch the sparkling lights on the tree and talk about the mean kids at school. Then they'll sing songs in front of the fake fire on the TV. And then, just before bedtime, they will each pick one present. Ninniku already knows which one she's going to open. The big one with the gold paper and the green bow that she'll get Light to braid into her hair in the morning before they wake up Uncle Yagami._

_ Ninniku holds out her arms to her cousin. "One more time?" she pleads._

_ Light giggles. "One more time." He agrees. And he lifts Ninniku off the ground and swings her through the air, round and round. It feels like flying._

Ninniku shot up in bed up from the warm quilt her cousin had wrapped her in when he brought her home from the hospital.

Her life was coming back to her, just as the doctor had told her it would.

"Light!" she cried.

Light came running in automatically, dragging his friend L with him. "What is it Ninniku-chan?"

He sat on the bed and stroked a lock of hair from her face. "Why are you shaking? What is it?"

"I remembered something."

"What?"

"I remembered…it was Christmas…you were backing gingerbread men and there was a big gold present under the tree and you were swinging me around."

"That was our first Christmas after the accident. Our first as a family." Light hugged her so tightly the air rushed out of her lungs.

After the hug, Light smiled. "You go on and get some rest, Maybe you'll remember more."

L stayed behind for a bit while Light went back to bed. His cool hand brushed a tear from Ninniku's cheek. "You don't remember me do you?" he asked.

Ninniku shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"Maybe this will help." L said, leaning forward and kissing her gently. The breath rushed out of her lungs. It was sweet, familure, and just beyond her reach….or was it?

_"Who want's corn on the cob?" L asks._

_ Ninniku shoots her hand into the air. Misa, her only friend, jumps up and down crying, "Me! Me!"_

_ Light mans the grill, not looking very pleased with it. "Burgers are almost done," he says, wearing an apron with a giant pink heart on the front. "First ones for the birthday girl." _

_ Ninniku smiles and gives Misa a noogie before grabbing her plate and holding it out to Light. He plops a burger on it then draws a smiley face on it with ketchup. She giggles and takes a big bite. The burger is juicy and sweeter than normal, meaning L had taken over the grill at one time, and ketchup runs down her chin._

_ L smiles and smears it off with a napkin, then kisses her lips. "I love you birthday girl." He whispers._

_ "I love you too."_

"Ninniku-chan? Ninniku?" L asked, shaking her lightly.

Ninniku smiled and threw her arms around him, kissing him full force. The force of the hug knocked them back and when they parted, Ninniku was straddling L. She smiled and pecked his nose.

"Thanks for the memories L-kun."

END


	14. Chapter 14 Never

NEVER

In Ninniku's life she had only heard or said the word "Never." A handful of times. Once when her cousin, Light, dared her to eat a bug when they were six, once when he had dared her to stick her tongue to a frozen lamp post, and once when two people's lives had been in danger.

L had had one of his fits and Light had called her in the middle of the night to come and get L down from the roof. She had rushed there in her night gown and had managed to get to him without being sick from her fear of heights.

"L-kun…if you don't mind my asking…What. In. The. Happy. Hell. Are. You. Doing?" she hissed as she tried to steady herself on the ledge of the building.

"Go home Ninniku-chan. You don't need to be up here." L said, not turning to face her.

She got behind him and grabbed his hand. "L please. Let's just get off this roof and try to calm down."

"I am calm. You're the one freaking out."

"I'm afraid of heights what do you expect?"

As the last word passed her lips, her ankle gave out, one of things it was known to do at the wrong times and nearly sent her to a painful death on the concrete 50 feet below them. L grabbed her hands in his own.

"I'm scared!" Ninniku cried.

"Anyone would be. Now just calm down."

"Don't let go!"

"Listen to me Ninniku-chan! I've got you! I won't let you go!"

"Never?"

"Never. Now pull yourself up come on."

Slowly, L managed to get her back on the roof and to get her to calm down before she started to have a panic attack.

"You saved my life." She whispered.

"Of course I did. You came up here to save mine." L said.

Ninniku had no idea what came over her but the next thing she knew, she was kissing him! L made no moves to push her away but instead deepened the kiss. His hands and arms were shaking as he pulled her closer.

When they parted for air, L smiled at her and held her tightly. "I'll never let you go." He whispered.

"Never?"

"Never."

END


	15. Chapter 15 Omen

OMEN

L didn't like scary movies. It wasn't because they scared him, no, that took a lot more than fake blood and cold laughter. It was because of how paranoid they made him about Ninniku and few other friends. He would look at the TV while she was clutching a pillow to her mouth with one hand and the other clutching his arm so tight her fingernails would leave imprints on his skin and the only thing he could think was "What if this happens to Ninniku? What if she and Near get kidnapped and I have to choose between them who lives and who dies? What if I die and leave her all alone?" The very thought of having to face eternity without Ninniku was already unbearable.

The other reason he didn't like them was because of the nightmares. Not his own but Ninniku's. Her mind had a far wider stretch of imagination than his own and she would wake up screaming at least three times a night. L hated seeing her upset and the movies always did that to her.

Tonight was one of the few nights Ninniku couldn't sleep and L had let her pick a movie in hopes of getting her to sleep for at least two hours. She had chosen a movie he wasn't familure with.

"What's it called again Ninniku-chan?" he asked as she placed it in the DVD player.

"The Omen. It's an American movie. Don't worry you'll like it." Ninniku said as she sat beside him and pulled the blanket around them.

As it turns out, he did enjoy the movie. Ninniku spent a good amount of time watching it as well or at least she had been until the midway point when she hid under the blanket for the rest of the movie.

"L-kun is it over?" she asked from under the blanket.

L hit stop and the screen turned blue. "Yes it's over. You can come out now."

"Are you s-sure?"

"Yes I'm sure now come on. Get to bed you have things to do tomorrow."

Ninniku withdrew her head from the blanket, nodded kissed L's cheek, and made her way to the foot of the stairs. She went to click on the light but it didn't work. She came running back to L and dove under the blanket, trembling.

"What in the-? Ninniku-chan what is it? What is it? Why are you shaking?" L asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. I was just…wondering if you could come up and tuck me in?" Ninniku asked, removing her head from the blanket, her eyes getting wide and pleading.

_Can those eyes get any bigger? _L wondered, brushing a lock of hair from her face and pressing his lips to her clammy forehead.

"The hall light's out again isn't it?" He asked.

Ninniku cuddled against his chest and nodded,

Her trembling stopped as soon as L had lifted her in his arms and carried her toward the front hall. She gripped his shirt and closed her eyes, trembling once again.

"It's okay Ninniku-chan. I've got you." L whispered.

"I love you." She whispered as they climbed the stairs.

"I love you too. See? Nothing to be afraid of. Now do me a favor and do the clap thing."

Ninniku unclasped her arms from around L's neck, clapped two times and the lamp on her side of the bed flicked on. L set her down gently and managed to lay her down and pull the covers over her.

"Do you need help changing too?" he asked.

Ninniku smiled and unbuttoned her lavender blouse and slid it off her shoulders, exposing her white bra. "Maybe. Do you?"

L smirked lightly and kissed, allowing her to pull him onto the bed. When they parted for air, L smiled at Ninniku's flushed cheeks and hazy eyes. It was so easy to get her this way.

"What do you think?" he asked.

There was one thing L did like about scary movies though. How he got to comfort Ninniku and how the paranoia just vanished as soon as he was in bed with her. They'd have to watch The Omen again later this week.

END


	16. Chapter 16 Pregnancy

PREGNANCY

L had been dead three weeks. Three weeks since Ninniku had felt his arms around her. 21 days since his warm, sweet breath had tickled the back of her neck as she slept, 168 hours since his voice had whispered sweet poetry into her ear to help her sleep after a nightmare, 10,080 minutes since his soft lips had pressed against her own, and 604,800 seconds since she had last heard him whisper, "I love you my sunshine."

L knew he was dead, he knew he had to move on, but he just couldn't bring himself to leave Ninniku alone. He knew Near and Mello were trying to take care of her. He knew that Ninniku had cornered Light in a field outside of the city and had shot him dead, making it look like suicide, copying his handwriting perfectly onto a note saying "I WAS KIRA"

Every night L laid beside her in bed, his hand barely brushing her cheek. He couldn't bear to leave her yet. She needed him. As the weeks passed, L watched as Ninniku would get up in the middle of the night and run to the bathroom to get sick. He figured she had come down with some sort of bug and whispered quietly in her ear, hoping she heard him, that she needed to see a doctor.

And even though he was dead, Ninniku was still as stubborn against his wishes as always. She didn't go to a doctor and even though she continued to get sick almost all the time, she just passed it off as something that would blow over.

Eventually though he could see that Ninniku was getting worried. Then, after one morning of pacing the living room wearing his shirt with her thumb on her bottom lip, something she must've copied from him, she dove for the phone and dialed a well-known number quickly.

"Mello, Near, it's Ninniku. I need you over her right away! This is important and I need you here in the next twenty minutes!" Ninniku hissed before hanging up and going back to pacing.

L sat on the couch in his usual position, watching her pace. Not even fifteen minutes later, Near and Mello came in the door.

"We got you message Ninniku. What's the matter?" Mello asked.

"I know that this will be hard to believe but…I think I might be pregnant." Ninniku said.

"What?" Near asked.

"Please repeat the statement." Mello said.

"I think I'm pregnant." Ninniku repeated.

"How? L never put his hands on you!" Mello said.

Ninniku went bright red and L was sure that, had there been blood in his veins, he would have been just as red.

"Oh so you guys actually…you know…did it?"

Ninniku nodded. Near fell off his chair laughing and Mello had never been more red.

"So…how are you planning on finding out for sure?" Near asked, after drying his eyes.

"After L and I started sleeping together I started keeping the home pregnancy tests in the house. Just give me five minutes then well know." Ninniku said before disappearing into the master bathroom.

L waited outside the door and waited at least half of the five minutes before entering. She was pacing again, biting her thumb nail. L perched himself on the edge of the tub and watched her pace. The alarm on the watch she wore around her left wrist, which L recognized as his as well, went off and, even though he was dead, L was still easily startled by loud noises. He lost his balance and landed in the tub, knocking over shampoo bottles in the process. Ninniku gave a small scream when the bottles clattered to the floor but dismissed it as a gust of wind from the fan in the ceiling.

"You okay Ninniku-san?" Mello asked from outside the door.

"Yeah I'm alright. The shampoo bottles fell and the alarm went off." Ninniku said.

"Well? What's it say?" Near asked.

Ninniku walked nervously over to the edge of the sink and noticed she was trembling. L got up and placed a kiss on her ear lightly. "Relax sunshine. It's going to be okay." He whispered.

Ninniku began to cry softly. "I miss you so much L-kun." She sobbed.

"I miss you too."

"Please God, please, let this test be positive. Please."

Ninniku looked at the test and practically screamed with joy.

"TWO LINES! TWO FUCKING LINES! I'M PREGNANT! YES! THANK YOU GOD!" She cheered.

Ninniku turned around, as if expecting to see L standing there. "We're gonna have a baby L-kun." She looked down at her stomach and rubbed lightly. "Don't worry baby. Your daddy's looking out for you."

Nine months later, Ninniku delivered a healthy baby girl and a boy. L had been behind her, stroking her hair and whispering words of encouragement all through the difficult 18 hours of labor. Near had been holding her hand and Mello had been pacing in the waiting room.

"So what are you gonna name them?" Mello asked once mother and babies were settled in a room.

"Well…for the girl I'm going to call her Ame." Ninniku said.

"Rain? Why?" Mello asked.

"Cause the first time L kissed me was in the rain."

"Good point? And the boy?"

"L.J."

"Huh?"

"Lawliet Junior."

L smiled as he watched her hold his son and daughter. Ame had her father's messy black hair and pale skin, but her eyes were the same as Ninniku's, a beautiful chocolate brown. L.J. had his mother's neat orange hair with his father's black eyes.

L kissed his daughter's forehead. "Look after your brother and keep him out of trouble okay?" he kissed L.J.'s forehead next. "And you make sure your sister stays safe. She's your responsibility now, just like your mama was mine. Take good care of both of them." L saved the best for last. He gently cupped Ninniku's face and brushed a lock of hair from her forehead, pressing his lips to it for the last time. "I love you so much Ninniku-chan. Look after them, they'll need you. Don't worry. I'll be watching over you."

And with one last look at the family he had helped create, L decided it was time to move on and wait outside heaven's gates for Ninniku.

END


	17. Chapter 17 Quiet

QUIET

Ninniku hadn't spoken a word since her fight with L. Everyone on the task force knew that something had happened between the two lovers but no one bothered them. Ninniku spent the whole day working on the other side of the room, away from L. L didn't speak a word to her and didn't make eye contact with her.

When L left to take a break, Ninniku waited until he left to let the water works flow. She hadn't cried when he called her naive and immature and a petulant child. But now, not hearing his voice was the real killer. She wanted him to speak to her, to yell at her even. She wanted him to hold her and wipe away her tears. He was mad at her and she had long since forgiven him. But now….how was she supposed to get him to forgive her, to speak to her again? She had tried this morning but he hadn't even looked at her.

Looking at the watch on her wrist, she sighed. It was ate and if she wanted to get home before it got dark then she had to leave now. She grabbed her jacket and scarf and, after some tearful slip ups, managed to work her way into them. She looked around to L's computer, she saw that he had pulled up the pictures of their first date, when she had dragged him to the summer festival. They were both so happy and smiling. More tears fell as she walked briskly out of the room, almost running into L on her way out. He didn't speak but she did.

"I said I was sorry. How many times do I need to say it?" she whispered.

Before he could speak or stop her, Ninniku had run off, sobbing. Ninniku ran out of the building and right up to their apartment, flinging herself down in the guest room, the place where she had been sleeping ever since the fight almost two weeks ago, and sobbing.

She hadn't been this emotional in forever, not since her parents died. She was so upset though and she had to get it out some way. So all she did was cry and cry and cry. Eventually, all she was doing was dry sobbing, there were no more tears left to cry. As she was sitting up, her stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch and sent her running to the guest bathroom to retch up the three Boston cream doughnuts and large hot chocolate she had bought just half an hour ago.

After a while of heaving, Ninniku heard the front door open.

_Great. _She though as she retched again and the bile rose in her throat and out her mouth. _Just what I need. Nothing says apology like seeing your girlfriend puking her guts out over the toilet after a fight. Please don't let him think I'm pregnant._

Ninniku heaved again.

A small knock came at the door.

"Don't come in here. You don't need to see this." Ninniku gasped before she heaved again.

L sighed and walked into the bathroom, holding back bits of Ninniku's hair so it wouldn't get in her face or in the bile. After a few minutes the nausea passed and L helped her stand up.

After Ninniku brushed her teeth, L helped her up to the master bedroom and tucked her into bed.

"I thought you were mad at me." Ninniku rasped, her voice hoarse and uneven.

"Sh. I'm not mad at you." L whispered, bathing her now feverish face in a cool rag. He thought she felt a little feverish this morning and all the stress from the day must've thrown the illness into full swing.

"Then why did you ignore me all day?"

"An argument with you isn't over until the tears start pouring. Now shush. You need to rest."

"L-kun tell me a story."

"Fine. Once upon a time there was a girl who was sick and wouldn't get her rest so her boyfriend drugged her to get her to sleep. The end."

"That's not a story."

"Go to sleep Ninniku-chan. You need the rest."

Ninniku nodded and allowed herself to drift off. L smiled as he watched her sleep. This was the kind of quiet he liked.

END


	18. Chapter 18 Ressurection

RESURECTION

"Near…Mello…what the…how?" Ninniku whispered as she looked from the sleeping L to her friends and back again.

"We couldn't stand seeing you so sad Imouto Ninniku." Mello said.

"But how?"

"There's a little piece of information missing about the Deathnote. If you offer up a soul in exchange for a life the Deathnote has taken….then the soul will be returned."

"And his body?"

"He was barely dead a day. There was nothing decaying and if there had been that automatically gets fixed when the soul returns to the body."

Ninniku looked at L's hands and gasped. His fingernails were jagged and bleeding, his knuckles were scrapped and he was still mostly covered in dirt.

"He dug his way out of his own grave." She said.

"That's mostly our fault. We didn't really know what we were doing." Near said.

"And his memory?"

"He remembers everything. He's just a little lost."

"Lost?"

"He didn't know where he was when we saw him."

"He knew who you were right?"

"Yeah."

"How long until he wakes up?"

"A couple hours. Hey if you'd just dug your way out of a grave you'd be tired too."

Ninniku sighed and went to the closet, taking out a change of clothes for L. "Make sure he gets a shower. I'll be downstairs making dinner."

"Strawberry shortcake?"

"Peach."

"Damnit!"

Ninniku tossed her slipper at Mello. It hit him square in the face and she smiled, retrieving it and slipping it back on before walking down the stairs to the kitchen. She had barely been in there more than five minutes before Mello and Near decided to ditch her with a half conscious L by slipping out the front door while she was trying to add the sliced peaches to the whipped cream dollops on the cake.

And, as fate would Have it, L came down the stairs mere moments later.

Ninniku was singing, something she hadn't done in months.

"_Love doesn't have to be perfect_

_You know that every little piece of the puzzle _

_Doesn't always fit_

_Perfectly_

_Love can be rough around the edges_

_Tattered at the seams_

_Honey if it's good enough for you_

_It's good enough for me."_

"N-Ninniku-chan….Is that really you?" L asked.

Ninniku turned around and smiled at L, walking over and hugging him gently.

"Welcome home."

END


	19. Chapter 19 Suicide

SUICIDE

Ninniku hadn't been the same since L died. She spoke less than ever, she cried more than ever, she spent hours at a time standing in the surveillance room, just staring at nothing in particular before she would run out crying. She wasn't sleeping as much as she used to. She spent more and more time awake.

Almost three months passed and she still wasn't any better. Her health was deteriorating quickly, leaving her body vulnerable to diseases it was too weak to fight off. Her alabaster skin turned ashen, her hair, once as vibrant as a flame, was now dull and lifeless and had started falling out. She became thinner than anyone thought possible and her ribs began to show. She would curl up in a ball on her side of the bed clutching her bony shoulders and sobbing so hard she would start to hyperventilate.

Mello, after almost a year, had had enough. He tied Ninniku down, forced her to eat, tried to get her to recover by taking her out. All those things just made her worse. On this particular day, Misa was looking after Ninniku and Mello had gone to visit L's grave.

In Mello's mind, he was a failure. He had promised L he would take care of Ninniku.

_Promise me Mello. Promise me that if something happens to me…you'll look after Ninniku for me. Heal her. Make her happy again. Promise me._

"I'm doing my best man. I really am." Mello whispered before leaving the bundle of wild flowers Ninniku had asked him to take, and walking away.

Another three month passed and Ninniku was steadily getting worse. Even the institute they had taken her to couldn't help her.

One day, Ninniku had been strong enough to stand on the balcony for an hour and a half, which Mello and Near took as a good sign. They left her alone after they made sure she ate dinner but couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. They brushed it off as nothing and went home.

Ninniku watched as they disappeared down the street before she hurried to her closet. After avoiding L's clothes, she found her favorite dress. It was a knee length black dress that L had bought her for their first date. That had been three years ago and this was the only dress she owned now.

After slipping into it carefully, Ninniku went to her vanity and brushed out her hair, hoping to bring some of the shine back into it. She slipped on a pair of black wedge heals that she had worn with the dress and, before leaving the apartment, grabbed a small envelope and secured her locket around her neck.

Quietly, Ninniku slipped up the roof and stood, looking out over the city as she opened the locket. Instead of the ring that had once been inside on that Christmas day all those years ago, it now held a note, L's last words to his beloved.

_I'll wait for you at heaven's gate. I don't care how long it takes. And I'll make sure I tell God that I can't come in without my love and my best friend. Baby this isn't anything new. And yes I love you too. Baby I'll wait for you._

_With love eternally,_

_L_

Ninniku smiled as tears coursed down her face again and she secured the note in the locket once more before looking up at the heavens. As black as possible with not a star in sight, like L's eyes. She stepped to the edge and looked up.

"Don't blame Mello L-kun. This was my choice." She whispered.

She looked down to the street below before looking up again. "You don't have to wait any longer. I'm coming to you baby." She whispered once more before letting herself fall over the edge.

The next morning, it was Mello who found her and called for the police. Her funeral was simple and small seeing as half the members of the task force were no longer alive or had quit. She was buried next to L, as her instructions said and Mello remained by her side, long after the others had gone.

In his hand he clutched her note tightly and sighed as the words ran though his minds as tears fell from his eyes.

_ Friends,_

_ Do not grieve for me now that I am gone. Rejoice! I am free of suffering and pain and can rest now, knowing I am lying at L's side one last time. Sell my belongings and give the money to the institute. They tried their hardest to help me and maybe with the money they can find a way to help others like me. Mello, I leave you in possession of all of mine and L's work. Make sure it gets put to good use okay? Near, keep Mello out of trouble okay and please, for the love of all that is holy in this earth, GET A GIRLFRIEND! YOU DON'T NEED TO BE SO LONELY ALL THE TIME! And one other thing, to all of you, burry me beside L, it's what he wanted and it's what I want. Thank you all for trying to help me and I'm sorry that your efforts amounted to an ending like this. But at least you've all learned something from me….I hope._

_Eternally at peace,_

_Ninniku Kazumi Ryuuzaki_

Mello took one last look at the two head stones, side by side. L had wanted a simple above ground tomb with his real name and a quote.

L Lawliet Ryuuzaki

1987-2012

Death is the end of life but also the beginning of something far more magical.

Ninniku had wanted a tomb as well but had also wanted a poem carved on hers.

Ninniku Kazumi Ryuuzaki

1989-2012

Death is only a n old door

Set in a garden wall;

On gentle hinges it gives, at dusk

When the threshes call,

Along the lintel are green leaves

Beyond the light lies still;

Very willing and weary feet

Go over that sill.

There is nothing to trouble any heart;

Nothing to hurt at all.

Death is only a quiet door

In an old wall.

-Nancy Byrd Turner

Mello put the note back in his jacket pocket and, with one last look, walked away.

END


	20. Chapter 20 Test

TEST

It was about eight o'clock on a sunny July morning. It was one of the days when Ninniku forced L to call in sick so he could spend some time with her. But things seemed different today. When L had looked up from the television, Ninniku had been up and dressed in a pair of brown skinny jeans, black converse, a red Woodstock t-shirt, and a thick gray wool coat with a blue and white striped scarf around her neck and a blue beanie on her head.

"Where are you off to?" L asked.

Ninniku spun to face him with her purse tightly in her grasp, like she had been caught doing something. "Oh I have a test today L-kun. Don't worry. After that I'm just going to run some errands then come right home to spend the day with you." She said.

"You have a test? You didn't study all week." L said.

"It's kind of like the Career Aptitude Test I took last month. It helps determine your future."

"Ok. If you need someone to come pick you up just call and I'll send Light to come get you."

"Don't worry I'm taking my bike. If I need help I'll call." Ninniku said before kissing his cheek and skipping out the door.

L shrugged and went back to the television. An hour passed and soon the phone rang and L picked it up.

"Ryuuzaki residence." He said.

"Hello I'm calling for Ninniku Kazumi."

"She's not home right now. May I take a message?"

"Yes this is Hitomi from Planned Parenthood. I have her test results. If you could just have her call me back. Thank you."

L stared blankly at the phone and, as fate would have it, Ninniku walked through the door mere seconds later with her arms full of grocery bags.

"L-kun do you wanna give me a hand here?" she asked. As she kicked the door closed.

L got up and helped put the groceries away. "Someone called for you while you were gone." L said after they had settled down in the bedroom after a long session of lovemaking.

"L-kun you should have told me when I got home. But then again…." Ninniku laid her head on L's chest and sighed. "You've never been better in the bedroom than you were tonight. So I guess it's okay. Who was it anyway?"

"Her name was Hitomi…from planned parenthood."

Ninniku's eyes went wide and she sat up, pulling the comforter around to cover her breasts. "Oh L-kun I'm so sorry. I didn't want you to find out that way."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't know whether I was pregnant or not! My period is late and that's why I'm worried!"

"Well then call her back. I got the number from her."

Ninniku felt tears in her eyes as she pulled her nightgown back over her head and walked down the hall. She grabbed the phone in the kitchen and, with a little trouble, pulled herself onto the counter and dialed the number.

"Hello Planned Parenthood. This is Hitomi speaking how may I help you?"

"Hello Hitomi this is Ninniku Kazumi and you called earlier about my test results."

"Oh yes. Well your test results confirmed that you are not pregnant Miss Kazumi."

Ninniku felt the tears she had been holding back fall as she thanked the woman and hung up. She slipped off the counter, wobbled, and fell to the floor sobbing and thanking God that she wasn't pregnant.

"Thank you God. Thank you so much." She sobbed.

"Ninniku-chan what are you doing on the floor? Did you fall? Are you okay? What did the test say?" L asked, walking in and helping her off the floor. He thanked God he had put his pants on before he come into the kitchen to get her because he knew the neighbors across the street had a set of nosy twin boys who liked to look in windows with their binoculars.

"L-kun it's wonderful! Just wonderful! I'm not pregnant! I'm not!" Ninniku cheered.

L sighed and hugged her back, leading her back to the bedroom. Halfway through the night, Ninniku got up because of a stomach ache and three minutes later, all L heard from the bathroom was "YES! THANK YOU LORD!"

L smiled and rolled over. He knew that that was one test Ninniku was happy to fail.

END


	21. Chapter 21 Understand

UNDERSTAND

It was a phrase Ninniku knew all too well rom years of having tings slowly explained to her. Yes she was a tad slower than most with simple things but her extremely advanced skills in reading and writing and computers made up for all of it. She wasn't slow or challenged, not in the eyes of the task force, nor in the eyes of L. She was smart to them, exceedingly smart.

When L had figured out that she was intellectually challenged in even the simplest fields of math he offered to help her through her college courses and be her tutor. Eventually, it became harder and harder for her to understand what he was asking her and she got more and more frustrated with the problems.

"I don't get it! I'll never get it! I'm an idiot!" Ninniku snapped, hiding her face in her arms and choking back tears. She was so upset about not being as smart as others and it made her feel like she didn't deserve to be on the task force, like she didn't deserve to work with L.

"Ninniku Kazumi you listen to me right now. You are _not_ and idiot. You are one of the smartest girls I know and you know a computer like you know your life. _You are_ _not an idiot._"

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"Because of certain things."

"What?"

"If you were an idiot you wouldn't be here. If you were an idiot we wouldn't be working together. If you were an idiot I wouldn't have fallen in love with you."

Ninniku's head shot up from her arms and L brought his lips to hers.

After a very heated make-out session, the two went back to work and, surprisingly, Ninniku was able to do a few two-step algebra equation on her own with minor help from L. After another make-out session, Ninniku was able to work simple geometry problems without a formula sheet.

They were up the whole night and, miraculously, L was the first to fall asleep. Ninniku, knowing that Light would get worried that she had been out all night with L, left a note for L and, after collecting her things, left after locking the door behind her.

L awoke at near noon to find Ninniku gone and a note taped to a can of soda.

_L-kun,_

_ Thanks for tutoring me. You're a really good teacher. Enjoy your day off because I called in sick for you before I left. What do you say to hanging with me today? Just text me and let me know when and where you want to meet up. I love you! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO_

_Yours until Niagara Falls_

_Ninniku_

END


	22. Chapter 22 Virgin

VIRGIN

"L-kun…stop…" Ninniku moaned as L trailed kissed down her collar bone and unbuttoned her shirt quickly.

L pulled away, wondering what could be wrong.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked.

"You know how much I want you but…I think we should wait."

"Wait? What do you mean?"

"I want to wait until we're married."

"That's not such a long time to wait."

"Five months."

"What?"

"You heard me. Five months."

"I'm…not following you."

" We have five months to plan a wedding."

"You do realize that it's not going to be easy."

"I don't want anything too expensive. You don't have to pay for everything. I'll pay for the dress and the decorations and-"

"Ninniku-chan I never said I wouldn't pay for it. I was just saying that five months is a little short notice for our friends."

"What friends? You have no life aside from the task force and me and you think my only living is a murderer. As far as I know the only people we could really invite would be N and M."

"'Good point. We could just take a break, run to the jewelry store, then to city hall."

Ninniku pondered the thought, her thumb nail on her bottom lip, before smiling and buttoning her shirt. "Sounds good to me. I'll meet you at the car. But don't forget we still have a honeymoon to book."

L pulled her closer by her hips and kissed her again. "Mmm. Tahiti, Malibu, Singapore, Jamaica, Hawaii, Kyoto, so many options."

"I say Kyoto so we're still in the country and incase Kira strikes we can come back."

"Give me half an hour to get us a place to stay for a few weeks and give everyone a heads up, then we can get going to city hall."

"Got it. I'll meet you at home because we still have to pack."

END


	23. Chapter 23 Wish

WISH

_Come out moon_

_Come out wishing star_

_Come out come out_

_Wherever you are_

Ninniku hated being alone on cold nights. Now that L was gone, no, _dead_ she reminded herself, she was alone all the time. She had become even more isolated from her friends, which were few in number and really didn't care about her, she had grown thinner than ever, even L's shirts were too big for her now and her sides slipped off her shoulders. And what made it worse was she was afraid to sleep. When she did, she had horrible nightmares and would wake up screaming. She dreamt that she had been buried alive and was suffocating underground. Tonight was one of those nights when she had one of those nightmares. Now she was sitting on the balcony, wrapped in a quilt, drinking her too sweet coffee, and listening to the an American song on the radio.

_I'm out here in the dark_

_All alone and wide awake_

_Come and find me_

_I'm empty and I'm cold_

_And my hearts about to break_

_Come and find me_

She looked up at the bright full moon and then, just off to the side, the north star. Closing her eyes and clasping her bony hands, she wished with all her might _Please, please, bring L back to me._ She knew that she wasn't going to make it, not without him. She had already been depressed when L met her, now she was on a downward spiral even her doctors couldn't save her from. L had been her true the love, the kind you find only once, and now that he was gone, her fragile heart, that had just begun to heal, was broken and no doctor in the world could fix it.

_I need you to come here and find me_

_Cause without you I'm totally lost_

_I've hung a wish_

_On every star_

_It hasn't done much good so far_

_I can only dream of you_

_Wherever you are_

She looked up at the moon, tears slipping from her eyes and freezing on her cheeks. She was going to die without him. And she knew it. Already she could feel her will to live draining away, leaving her cold and empty. There was no hope left in her body, nothing left to make her want to hold on to this reality.

_I'll hear you laugh_

_I'll see you smile_

_I'll be with you_

_Just for a while_

_But when the morning comes_

_And the sun begins to rise_

_I will lose you_

With one last look at the moon and another sip of her too sweet, decaffeinated and now cold coffee, Ninniku walked back into the apartment and poured her coffee down the drain. It was too cold to stay outside tonight so she would just make herself comfortable on the window seat and pray for a sleep free of dreams.

_Because it's just dream_

_When I open up my eyes_

_I will lose you._

So, as she settled onto the window seat and allowed her mind to spirit her away from her pain filled world, Ninniku gave one more desperate plea, _Please bring him back to me. Please._

_I used to believe in forever_

_But forever's too good to be true_

_I've hung a wish_

_On every star_

_It hasn't done much good so far_

_I don't what else to do_

_Except to try and dream of you_

_And wonder if you're dreaming too_

_Wherever you are._

When morning came, Ninniku woke to find herself in bed, wrapped snuggly under the covers with her small Raggedy Anne doll tucked into the crook of her left arm.

_That's strange. I don't remember going to bed._ She thought.

Just as her mind was starting to wander off back to sleep, she became fully aware of her surroundings. There was a cool hand on her cheek, gently stroking it. When she opened her eyes, she saw who it was and had to fight back tears.

_I'm not dreaming_. She thought as she smiled at L, who smiled back at her and kissed her forehead.

"I'm back sunshine. I'm not going anywhere."

END


	24. Chapter 24 Xray

X RAY

Ninniku breaking a limb was nothing new. Sometimes she would be in the hospital at least five times a year, mostly for broken bones. She spent more money on Band-Aids and rubbing alcohol than she did on food and drink….yearly.

Still, every time she ended up in the hospital, L panicked and would be in the waiting room pacing, waiting until the doctors said she was read for visitors.

As soon as she got home, L would spoil her rotten with anything she wanted, missing work most of the time to be with her.

Today was not one of those days. Today, Ninniku had decided to go out for a walk while L was at work.

Bad idea.

She had no idea how it had happened but one minute she was walking down the street and the next, she was in the hospital, unable to see.

The doctors explained that she was blind now, her head had hit a sign when the car swerved and hit her, throwing her twelve feet into a speed limit sign.

She knew she was blind. She didn't need and X ray or a doctor to tell her that.

"Is there anyway of reversing it?" Ninniku asked.

"There is but it would be extremely expensive and you would have to win the lottery to get that much money. I'm sorry Miss Kazumi. I'm truly sorry." The doctor said.

Ninniku heard his footsteps fade down the hall and a new set coming.

"Here she is. Just like we said." A woman said.

"Ninniku-chan!" that was L's voice.

"Ryuuzaki-kun?" Ninniku asked.

"I'm over here Ninniku-chan. Can't you see me?"

"No."

The footsteps got closer and a cool hand enveloped her own. Another cool hand touched her cheek, pulling her head to the left.

"You're blind? How?"

"I hit a speed limit sign when the car swerved."

"Oh Ninniku-chan….I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. It's no one's fault. It was an accident. They happen all the time."

"I love you."

"I know. I love you too."

"What do the X rays say?"

"How should I know?"

END


	25. Chapter 25 Yes

YES

There was no such thing as 'no' when it came to Ninniku. Whatever she wanted, L could get for her.

A lover's get away in Paris, France?

Done.

A trip to her hometown of New Orleans?

Done.

A new set of wine glasses because she broke the last set sometime at Christmas?

Done.

A wedding band?

Not yet.

That was the one thing he had yet to get her and he knew that she wanted one. But one day while she was still fast asleep, exhausted from the long day of work the previous day and the previous night's activities, L slipped out and bought a diamond ring. It wasn't much really. Just a simple 3 carat princess cut diamond on a 14 carat silver band.

When he got home, Ninniku was awake, curled up on the couch with a bowl of seedless cherries and chocolate syrup, watching some kind of American show called _Pretty Little Liars._

"There you are L-kun. Where have you been all morning?" Ninniku asked, smiling at him.

L smiled and kissed the side of her mouth. "You had some chocolate on your face sunshine." He said, sitting next to her.

"So? Where were you?"

"Shopping."

"For what?"

"Something special."

"A new car? I did total your old one when I crashed into the pillar in the parking garage."

"Yeah. But I didn't find anything that I liked."

"I still feel really guilty about your car. I wish you'd let me get you a new one. I know you hate driving my bright green mini cooper."

"I can get by. Now close your eyes, I have something important for you."

"Ok."

Ninniku closed her eyes and waited. L kissed her gently, allowing the kiss to slowly gain volume while he slipped the ring onto her finger. When they parted for air, L smiled and kissed her hand. Ninniku saw the ring and gasped.

"L-kun….what in the-"

"I love you Ninniku Kazumi. I don't care if Light thinks I'm not good enough for you. And I'm asking you this because I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to wake up next to you every morning and fall asleep in your arms every night. I want your smile to be the first thing I see every morning and I want your voice to be my lullaby at night. Ninniku….will you do me the honor of becoming my bride?"

Ninniku wiped away a tear and smiled before nearly knocking him over with the force of her hug. "I love you. Yes."

END


	26. Chapter 26 Zebra

ZEBRA

"Ninniku-chan?" L asked.

"Hm?" Ninniku asked around the spoonful of icing her mouth.

"Are Zebras white with black stripes or black with white stripes?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious."

"To be honest I don't really know L-kun. I guess they're just black and white."

"Why?"

"Cause it's their natural color."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Why?"

"Because I don't."

"Why?"

"L if you ask me that one more time you're spending the night with your hand."

L shut his mouth instantly and Ninniku smiled. Peace and quiet at last.

END


End file.
